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1080p29.97 ProRes HQ with nasty combs!
So yet again, I’ve received a ProRes master from our vendor that is 1920×1080 @ 29.97. As a check, I drop that into FCP & Compressor to check the settings and they are 1920×1080 29.97 Progressive. So my question is, when I bring into FCP and Overwrite into a new sequence (image 1 below), click yes for settings to match clip settings, I get wicked combing/interlacing. If this is a progressive clip and sequence, why would I see that (image2 below).
On my Sony Bravia and through my BM Intensity Pro card, playback set to 1080i59.94 (image 3), the playback looks normal. But when I step through, again on playback monitor, every 4th frame is a duplicate. And on my computer monitor it looks like the combs are every 4th and 5th frame, 3:2 pulldown?
Would the master have been a 23.98 sequence they added pulldown to? Should I request that as my master? Or is there something I can do? Or maybe this is correct and its going to look that way on my computer and look okay on the TV. I’m just confused about 1080. I understand 720p material pretty well, but 1080 gets me every time with pulldown, interlaced and progressive, segement frames, yada yada yada.
Help is greatly appreciated. I’ve read about this before in other posts and just can’t wrap my head around it.
OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card
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23 Replies
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If you step through frame by frame, is there 3:2 pulldown?
If so your clip and sequence should be set to a field order of upper.
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In Quicktime Pro, I step through frame by frame and I think I see 3:2 pulldown. 3 clean frames followed by 2 interlaced frames (images 1 and 2 below). However in FCP those interlaced lines are huge, ie the comb effect. So by setting the the Field Dominance to Upper, all should be good?
But why then does FCP and Compressor both interpret the clip as Progressive 29.97? If in fact it is interlaced 1080?
If they’ve edited in 1080 at 23.98 Progressive and export their master, then add in 3:2 pulldown, do you get what I have here? A 1080 29.97 Progressive (or Interlaced) file?
OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card
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Sorry, maybe I should rephrase that. Does adding in 3:2 pulldown automatically give you an Interlaced movie. Or could it be progressive?
OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card
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Looks like 3:2 pulldown to me. Just by it’s very nature a file with 3:2 pulldown should be treated as interlaced.
There’s metadata in ProRes files that allows the user to flag files as progressive or interlaced, but it is just a flag and doesn’t determine what the file really is. You have to set it properly. You can donthis in FCP as I described above. The lines in the viewer are just a preview. No reason to worry. When played back on a tv it will look just fine.
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Thank Jeremy. Last question. I’ve changed to field dominance to Upper as you stated. Playback is good on both the TV as well as in FCP Canvas on the computer monitor. Although, with this now as interlaced, when I step through frame by frame, every 5th frame is a dup. Is this normal and is this a 4:1 cadence? What does this mean if anything?
OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card
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Every fifth frame being a dupe is usually fcps way of adding pulldown to a “24”p file in a “30”fps sequence.
Did you replace the clip in the timeline after you changed field Dom? If you change the clip in the master clip in the browser, the clip on the timeline does not get updated in this case. So you either need to replace the clip(s) on the timeline or chnage the field Dom on the clips from the timeline by right clicking and choosing item proerties. Hope that makes sense.
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Jeremy, another question for you. How would you convert a 23.976 clip to 29.97 but keep it progressive. I have some 720p30PN footage from the HVX 200 and would like to keep a progressive sequence for the web. I have a the project for the most part done, but was just given a 720p24 clip and a 1080p24 clip. I’d like to convert them both to use in my 29.97p sequence.
If by taking a 23.98 clip and adding in pulldown creates an interlaced clip as mentioned above, can it create a progressive one? And what would be the best to use for this? AE? Compressor? I know FCP will add in the wrong pulldown, unless you use a 720p59.94 sequence (which we’ve spoken about in the past). But I’d like to stay at 29.97.
OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card
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In this case, I’d use Compressor to make the 29.97 movies. Make sure input and output fields are set to progressive and the retiming control is set to best in the frame controls tab. Your mileage may vary depending on the footage.
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that’s what i thought and have done in the past with good results. I just wasn’t sure if there was a proper way to do it. or if compressor adding in frames properly for the conversion. was just curious what most pro’s did or do in this situation. thx
OS 10.6.3, Mac Pro 2 x 2.66 ghz quad-core intel xenon, 16 gb ram, with BM Intensity Pro card
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There’s no way to add progressive pulldown from 24p to 30p so you have to use Compressor to retime the footage an make new pixels.
Most of the time it works pretty well. If it doesn’t work for you, let me know.
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